New York Giants: Pro Football Focus ranks Jonathan Casillas the worst player in Week 12
Nov 20, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Marquess Wilson (10) can't make the completion against New York Giants outside linebacker Jonathan Casillas (52) late in the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Pro Football Focus ranks New York Giants’ linebacker Jonathan Casillas the NFL’s worst player during Week 12.

New York Giants linebacker Jonathan Casillas was the worst performing player in the NFL during Week 12 according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). The website listed the league’s top 10 underperforming players from the previous week, placing Casillas in the number one slot.

PFF cited the Giants’ defensive captain’s struggles in both the run and pass defense to justify his poor ranking. Casillas “missed a pair of tackles and was beaten for 61 yards through the air, with more than half of them coming after the catch, despite the [Cleveland] Browns struggling hugely on offense.”

The two-time former Super Bowl champion did post just total four tackles in the game, tied for his season low. New York’s linebacking core did hold Browns’ tight end Gary Barnidge to only one catch for 11 yards, but Casillas didn’t have a huge role in that success. With the Giants’ defense in zone coverage for the majority of the day, Casillas worked primarily in the flats where he was exploited. Often times his angles were burned by opposing ball carriers, turning short throws into big gains against him.

However, saying Casillas was “exposed” as a run defender is over dramatic. Despite the two missed tackles, his efforts, combined with those of teammates Keenan Robinson, Devon Kennard, and Kelvin Sheppard, helped limit the Browns’ ground game to just 58 total yards. The group also held the Browns’ to a long run of a mere nine yards.

Though Casillas was from perfect against Cleveland, being rated as the worst player throughout the league during Week 12 seems a bit harsh.